Background

If you are derived at the L1 SNP ("L1+"), and/or your Haplogroup is "R-L1," you've come to the right place!

IMPORTANT note to all current and future members:

Because the primers originally used by Family Tree DNA for Y-STR testing have recently (late 2012) been replaced by new primers, a “null” will no longer be detected or reported at DYS439!

Previously, the rare and harmless mutation at the L1 SNP (a C>T mutation at Y-DNA position 14515250 (Build 37)) prevented FTDNA’s primer from annealing to the Y-chromosome, thereby preventing the DNA from being amplified, sequenced, or otherwise analyzed during testing. Therefore, men with the L1 SNP would get no result for DYS439, and FTDNA would indicate the null result with a blue 12. L1 was also called "S26" by another testing company, Ethnoancestry.

Since the new primers used by FTDNA for DYS439 are not affected by the L1/S26 SNP, even current members of this project would get a result (typically a “12”) at DYS439 if retested. This means that no new members of this group will be discovered through Y-STR testing. However, new members will continue to be discovered via SNP testing at the L1/S26 SNP. Indeed, anyone who is derived at L1/S26 (“L1+”) is encouraged to join this project! Click the JOIN icon at the left of your MyFTDNA page and select this project (listed under either null439 or L1/S26).

Please note that members of the former Null439 Project who were actually null439 as of March 2013 will be automatically grandfathered into the new R1b-L1/S26 Y-DNA Haplogroup Project!

Background of L1/S26:

L1/S26 is carried by about a half of one percent of R1b males. See this 2005 FTDNA null439 presentation which shows some limited details about the SNP.

SNPs are passed down from father to son, and all males derived at L1/S26 (i.e., "L1+") descend from a common ancestor who lived within the last 5000 years. Most L1+ males with known origins have roots in England or Germany (see the News tab). All males with L1/S26 also have the SNP "S21" (also known as "U106") which defines the R1b1a2a1a1a3a1a subclade of R1b according to the 2013 ISOGG Y-DNA Haplogroup Tree (note that the subclade was formerly referred to as R1b1b2g3, R1b1b2a1c, and R1b1c9 in previous versions of ISOGG and/or YCC trees).

Joe Fox, the first person tested S26+, had estimated the age of L1/S26 as approximately 1,800 years +/- 200 years, based on calculations developed by Kenneth Nordtvedt (see http://www.jogg.info/42/files/nordtvedt.pdf for more information about this method).

Go to the News tab for a discussion of possible L1 connections and origins.

This site was founded by - and is dedicated to -Leo W. Little who worked with FTDNA and others exploring the L1 cluster and making information about it available.

The L1/S26 Y-DNA Project and a Potential Microdeletion at L132:

In 2009, it was first discovered by Neal Fox (co-administrator of the Fox Project and former administrator of the Null439 Project) that several members of the Null439 Project who underwent testing at 23andMe had a "no-call" at SNP rs7893044 (now called "L132"). The ancestral version of L132 is "C," and the derived version of L132 is "T." Since that time, several members of the project have purchased an L132 SNP test from FTDNA and/or taken the Geno 2.0 test at The National Genographic Project.

In 2013, it was further discovered that each of the handful of R1b-L1/S26 Project members who have taken the Geno 2.0 test at The National Genographic Project have a “no call” at the following Y-DNA locations:

rs7893044 (L132), located at Y-DNA position 17464197 (Build 37)

rs181717787, located at Y-DNA position 17466305 (Build 37).

Notably, these two SNPs are located just 2108 bases away from each other. It is hypothesized that members of the R1b-L1/S26 Y-DNA Haplogroup may have an (obviously harmless) microdeletion at this location. Further testing is required to investigate this hypothesis, and members of the group are encouraged to take the Geno 2.0 test at The National Genographic Project.

Please feel free contact one of the administrators with any questions.